Portable glass washer



May 26, 1953 T. @FORD PORTABLE GLASS WASHER Filed July 2l, 1947 Patented May 26, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE l Claim.

This invention relates to portable glass washer and, more particularly, to apparatus for washing glasses, cream jars, bottles, dishes and other containers.

In apparatus heretofore employed for driving rotating brushes in washing basins, it has been the practice to mount the motor at a point outside of the basin and to provide connections for driving gears within the washing apparatus submerged in the water of the basin. Such apparatus is large and diiicult to position within the tubs or basins employed, and the motor casing and standards employed form obstacles which prevent the effective use of the brushes.

An object of the present invention is to overcome the above disadvantages and to provide a relatively small and compact structure which is vadaptable for being placed in basins or tubs of any type or contour. Y-et, another object is to provide an extremely compact washing structure in which the rotating parts operate in an oil body. Yet, another object is to provide an extremely compact structure in `which the motor itself is housed within a water-tight casing and which drives gears submerged in oil, the entire casing structure being submerged in the water of the tub or basin. Yet, another object is to provide a structure in which a gear box houses not only the gears for driving washing brushes, but also the motor and in which a cable element provides a relief pressure generated in an oil bath during the operation of the mechanism, permitting an escape of fair, etc. from the gear box. Other objects and advantages will appear as the specification proceeds.

The invention is illustrated, in a preferred embodiment, by the accompanying drawing, in which- Figure l is a perspective view of apparatus embodying my invention; Fig. 2, a vertical sectional view; Fig. 3, a top plan view; and Fig. 4., an enlarged detail sectional view, the section being taken as indicated at line 4 of Fig. 2.

In the illustration given, Ill designates the casing of a gear box. II designates a closure plate having an integral casing portion I2 supporting shafts I3, I3 and I5. Shaft I3 is equipped with a spur gear I6, and also with a worm gear II. Shaft I4 is yequipped with a spur gear I8, and shaft I5 is equipped with. a spur gear IS. The gears I9, I8 and I6 are supported in mesh with each other.

A motor is equipped with brackets 2 I, which are held by screws to the top plate l I. The motor is an induction type motor, and it drives a motor shaft 22 carrying a worm 23. The worm 23- meshes with the Worm gear Il, as shown more clearly in Fig. 2.

The motor 20 may drive the shaft 22 either from a `central portion of the motor or from one end thereof, as illustrated in Fig. 3. Further, it will be understood that the drive shaft 22 may be connected for operating the gears IS, I8 and I9 by any suitable connections. For the purposev of illustration, I have shown a simple worm and worm gear connections and spur gear connections.

The entire casing I0 is preferably filled with lubricating oil, and the plate I I then secured in water-tight relation by means of screws 24. A sealing gasket 25 is preferably interposed between plate II and easing Ill to render the connection water-tight.

The shafts I3, I4 and I5 extend through openings in the plate I2 and through bosses 26 aligned with such openings. Each of the bosses 26 is threaded to engage an internally threaded cap 21, as shown more clearly in Fig. 4. The cap 21 is apertured to permit the shaft to extend therethrough and serves to compress a spring 2B which bears against the washer 29. Below the washer 29 is packing 30, which prevents the leakage from the basin into the chamber or from the oil chamber into the basin.

The closure plate II is capped at 3| to receive a hollow tting 32. Secured to a reduced portion of the tting 32 is a water-tight tube 33, which extends upwardly above the water line 'of the basin or tub. Electric cables 34 extend through the tube 33, and a space is provided in the tube 33 about the cables 34. The cables 34 contain electric wires which supply current to the induction motor 20. At the same time, the space about the cables provides a relief passage throughy which air, etc. may escape to relieve pressure within the chamber while the gears are in operation.

Any suitable scrubbing or washing device may be operated by the shafts I3, I4 and I5. On shaft I3, in the illustration given, is mounted a brush 35. A smaller brush 36 is mounted upon shaft I4. A brush '31, similar to brush 35, is carried 1by shaft I5. It Will be understood that brushes of varying sizes and dimensions may be employed, as desired.

Operation In the operation of the device, the container IIJ is filled with oil and the closure II sealed as already described. The water-tight housing 133, which may be rigid or flexible, as desired, is drawn upwardly so that the top portion thereof extends above the water level. Upon the operation of a Switch connecting the two electric cables to produce current to flow in the motor, the motor 2S starts in operation and drives the mechanism. The worm 23 rotates the worm ll and thereby Sear I6. Gear I5 rotates spur gear I8, and spur gear I8, in turn, drives gear I9. As the gears rotate in the body of oil, a pressure would ordinarily build up tending to force leakage 0f the oil from the structure.y To compensate for this'and to prevent the buildingr up of pressure, the fitting 32 and cable 33 permit the escape of air, etc. within the vertical tube 3'3, and the mechanism operates with substantially no pressurefin.- ther-oil y chamber.

As a result of the cable structure andthear rangement of all the parts within asinglegear box, an unusually small and compact structure is provided, and this may be inserted within washring basins or tubs of almost any contour or shape. The entire mechanism takes up verylittle room and accommodates itself taanytype--of tub. The

tubing may be drawn to a 'corner-0r a-lsdefnf..`

the tub wheredt is ,entirely out roftheway, lthus freeing .the .tub .from al-l obstacles,

Thel apparatus Yhas, been ope,ratedgfor-l longmeriods withpthe .gear box-thereon entirelyv sub.-`

merged` in water and withoutany evidence of leakagefrom the oil chamber into the basin or from the basin into the.oi1 chamber. Theapparatusiseiective when-hot watereis employed. Theinduction motor. operates effectively in oil at temperatures of 170 C. andjhigher. The flexible tubing33 is constantly-maintainedin a vertical positionrforan eiTective-length by the side Awall of thetub, etc.-and beyond the-side wall, the tube may be turned downwardly so as to be entirely out ofthe way. It, will be understood that the gears may be arranged in a variety otcombinations,v

and the gear arrangement shown ismerely for the purpose oftillustratlon of one of sucharrange.

ments.

While in the foregoing specication, I4 have such structure may be varied widely by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Iclaim:

In washing apparatus of the character set forth, a casing providing a container adapted to receive oil, a closure plate adapted to provide a watertight closure for said container, shafts supported by said closure plate for rotation and extending; therethrough, gears connected to said shafts Within said casing, an induction motor mounted within said casing and suspended from said closure plate, means connecting the shaft of said. motorawith said gears to operate the same, a pair of large brushes carried by two of said shafts mounted in said closure, a small brush carried Vby another-shaft mounted in said closure and extending between said iirst-mentioned brushes in close juxtaposition therewith, cables extending through saidiclosure plate to supply .CurrentteA said; incitar,I andawater-proof l'flexible tube Vioinedto the casingfor enclosing saidcables f andY providing. a pressure; relief passageirom :the

interior of the casing, said tube being ofesuilie, l cient length to'extendabovethe level of the liquid in; whichztheapparatus .is to be immersed.

THOMAS G. FORD.

References Cited in the iilefof this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,687,617 Jewell Oct. 16, 19.28V 1,954,833 Schwarzkopf Apr. 17,1934. 2,002,914 Mendenhall et al. May 28, 1935 2,032,916' Cunningham Mar. 3, 1936 2,127,680 Edmondson Aug. 23, 1938 2,180,408... Fielding Nov. 21, 1939 2,242,361 Lewis May 20, 1941 2,255,081 Nielsen et a1 Sept. 9,-1911` 2,430,769l Hutchinson Nov. 1l, i947 2,432,291. Dayton, Dec. 9, 1947 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 365,(i92V Great Britain Jan. 28, 1932* 557,318 Germany Aug. 22, 1932 

